Two charged with murder in Christmas Day crash that killed Daly City boy

PASADENA -- A man and a woman have been charged with the murder of an 11-year-old Daly City boy and his 25-year-old cousin after a Christmas Day police chase ended in a crash that claimed both of their lives, police said.

Darrell Williams, 22, of Pasadena; and Brittany Washington, 21, of Los Angeles were charged with murder by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office Friday after it was determined they were responsible for crashing an SUV into the victims' van during a high-speed police chase, police said.

The young victim, identified as Kendrick Ng, had just left an ice-skating rink with his mother, Irene Ng, 52; father, Kenric Ng, 49; cousin, Tracey Noelle M. Ong Tan, 25; and 16-year-old sister, who was not named because she is a minor, Pasadena police Deputy Chief Darryl Qualls said. The family climbed into the van and set off for a holiday gathering with Ong Tan's family, but never arrived.

The chase began after officers attempted to stop the vehicle for a traffic violation about a mile north of the crash scene at Marengo Avenue and Claremont Street, Qualls said. The vehicle sped off, and police followed with lights and sirens as they watched a loaded handgun being thrown out the window.

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The SUV soon barreled through a red light, around the corner of Maple Street and North Marengo Avenue with police shortly behind, officials said. The SUV, driven by Williams and occupied by Washington and two other Pasadena residents, Jada Mays, 18, and Demauria Hannah, 22, slammed into the family's minivan at high speed, police said.

Kendrick Ng and Ong Tan, who lived in neighboring Glendale, were pronounced dead at the scene. Ong Tan would have celebrated her 26th birthday on Dec. 31.

A family in mourning

Kendrick's mother, father and sister were taken to hospitals for treatment of moderate injuries, Qualls said. Kenric Ng was released from the hospital that evening; his wife and daughter remain in the hospital in stable condition.

Family members Thursday expressed their shock and sadness via Facebook.

"Right now the whole family can't believe it. They can't do anything but cry and sob," Kathleen Ong Tan, who identified herself as Tracey Ong Tan's sister, posted on Facebook.

Family members could not be reached for comment Thursday, though in online postings, family members in the Philippines expressed sorrow and said they were working on obtaining visas to visit the U.S. to support the crash victims.

"I received a call at 5 p.m. It was my uncle. I happily greeted him a Merry Christmas. I thought the line was choppy. It was after a few seconds that I realized that he was crying," Kathleen Ong Tan wrote. "'(Ong Tan) is dead, and (Kendrick).' I was shocked. ... No tear fell but my whole body was shaking. Uncle cried and cried ... He said he didn't know what he was going to do, he didn't know how he was going to tell mama."

Kendrick, who was in sixth grade at Our Lady of Mercy School in Daly City, was frequently lauded as a star student in the school's newsletter distributed to students' families. School officials were not immediately available for comment over the Christmas holiday.

Suspects charged

On the day of the crash, all four occupants inside of the SUV were treated for moderate injuries and arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, Qualls said. The DA elected to file charges against Williams and Washington only -- no criminal charges were filed against Hannah or Mays. Williams was charged as the driver of the SUV, while Washington was charged for abetting the crash, authorities said, although they did not immediately provide further details on her involvement.

Officials identified both suspects as having a gang association and found that Williams was on active parole at the time of the incident, Qualls said. Both suspects were also charged for assault with a deadly weapon, and an additional charge was filed against Williams for a violation of his parole: being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Los Angeles County Superior Court records show Williams was convicted of two counts of robbery in February 2008 in Pasadena Superior Court, and in late 2009 of a misdemeanor count of false imprisonment in Pomona Superior Court. He was also convicted of furnishing alcohol to a minor in July.

Williams remained in jail on no bail status Friday as the DA requested Washington's bail be set at $2.1 million. Hannah and Mays were released from jail after the DA declined to file charges against them.

"I believe the persons responsible for the tragic and untimely death of two innocent victims have been appropriately charged by the District Attorney's Office," Pasadena Police Chief Phillip L. Sanchez said. "It is my hope that this criminal filing might bring some comfort to the family."